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Moonlight Mask
''"I wanted to be a symbol, an example that showed our culture is not one of sins committed by the few in the past. I wanted the world to know that all creeds of humanity are capable of good...if they are only...given the chance to try." '' - Juro's answer to the younger generation of heroes as to why he fought despite having no powers. Moonlight Mask is a character from Kamen Rider: The Animated Series. History Moonlight Mask was the first superhero to appear in Japan after the death of Gold Bat. In flashbacks during episodes featuring him we are given his backstory. Juro Iwai was a soldier during World War II who was drafted into the US Navy. After the war had ended, he returned to Japan to visit his relatives, only to face scorn and feelings of betrayal from his family and its citizens. He also faced prejudice when returning home to San Fransisco and learned of the illegal detainment camps that the US government set up for Japanese-American citizens. When questioning his commanding officer about why this happened and what was the reason, his only response was that they were the enemy and got what they deserved for potentially spying on Americans. Juro protested, stating that condemning an entire race simply for the actions of a few was insanity and against everything the country stood for, making them no better than the Axis Powers. His commander punched him in the face and falsely discharged him on insubordination (It is implied that the commander was suffering from PTSD). Not wanting Pearl Harbor and the war to be the enduring legacy of his people, Juro left America and returned to Japan. He began training, eventually becoming a Tokyo police detective and secretly the vigilante Moonlight Mask in 1958. For thirty years he fought crooks, super villains, robots and terrorists alongside many heroes, including the Zero Squad. His body began to wear down from all the battles, eventually forcing him to retire in 1981. While no longer an active hero, he does serve as a mentor figure to the younger generation of heroes, teaching them combat techniques and the importance of not heavily relying on their superpowers to get them out of situations. Hayato Ichimonji in particular is a huge fan of his time as a hero and shows great respect for him, while other young heroes balk at his teachings and think he's just a crazy old man who torments them with difficult training sessions. Appearance Despite being in his 80s, Juro is in surprisingly good health. He is shorter than he was as a young man with grey balding hair and a slim athletic build from constant workouts. He is often seen in a blue Hawaiian shirt with moons on it and grey pants. Abilities As Moonlight Mask, Juro was an expert marksman and martial artist. He was equipped with many weapons including a bullwhip, a police revolver, shurikens, razor sharp steel Moon-shaped boomerangs and flash bang grenades. He also had a motorcycle with a nuclear powered engine fueled by Paltanex, an alien isotope ore given to him by the Rainbow Sentai's leader Robin as a gift to keep his bike running during the Oil Crisis back in the 70s. The motorcycle was later given to Hongo, who modified and upgraded it with Tachibana's help into what he christened as the "New" Cyclone after the original was destroyed by Lady Hachi in her super form. Category:Characters Category:Kamen Rider: The Animated Series